NHER 65418 (Monument record) - Site of World War One training camp

A temporary training camp was probably established at this location during World War One. This tented soldiers' camp is shown on a series of photographs believed to have been taken in around 1915 (S1). It is recorded as having been occupied by The Royal Sussex Regiment and located "on Yarmouth Road, opposite Mill House" [1]. A total of 42 circular tents can be seen, four of which lay some distance to the north of the main group and had therefore probably been occupied by officers. Between the two groups of circular tents were two larger, more elongated structures that had presumably been mess tents or similar. Two groups of soldiers can be seen stood around campfires situated in amongst the tents.
The exact location of this camp isn't entirely certain as at the time there were two fields that could be described as "opposite Mill House" - these separated by a field boundary that has since been removed. Details visible on a photograph taken from a slightly elevated viewpoint do though suggest that on balance the camp most likely lay in the right hand field and the record has been mapped on this basis. If this was indeed the case then the photograph in question must have been taken from a first floor window in Mill House.
P. Watkins (HES), 22 February 2022.

February 2012. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed development site to north of Yarmouth Road.
Although this survey examined the probable location of the camp there was no clear evidence for associated debris or sub-surface remains.
See report (S2) and NHER 58021 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 22 February 2022.

July-August 2013. Strip Map and Sample Excavation.
Targeted excavation of four areas within large proposed development site to north of Yarmouth Road.
This work recorded two linear features at TG 3785 2525 that were almost certainly World War One practice trenches. Significantly, these would have been at the far end of the former field in which the soldiers' camp is suggested to have lain. This was a relatively narrow field and as a result the trenches were aligned north-east to south-west, parallel to the adjacent boundaries.
See report (S3) and NHER 58021 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 22 February 2022.